This is an extremely concise description of the way de escalation happens in foreign affairs.
It is also why just saying “nah wasn’t a big deal all fine over here” after having personnel rescued after crashing their helicopter into the sea comes across not just as weak but *undignified*.
Haydon
If you don't want to respond, you try to hide that it happened. If that isn't possible, you tell Iran that you'll hit Iran and then give the Iranians time to move out their soldiers. Everyone plays a bit of theatre and nobody dies but you do something. Take out a radar in the desert or whatever
